<p><span><span>- With influences ranging from the disco tinged pop of <strong>Madonna</strong>, to the industrial fury of <strong>Kim Gordon</strong>’s <em>No Home Record</em>, <em>MY WORLD</em>, the debut EP from Melbourne based producer Loughie, is like looking into an antique kaleidoscope. It’s a little rough around the edges sometimes, but that's something that just enhances the DIY appeal of Loughie’s androgynous, horror-pop.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>For evidence look no further than early cut <em>Carrie White</em>:<em> </em>a B-Side that I understand nearly didn't make the EP, but marvellously depicts the hazy daze of styles that capture Loughie’s aesthetic. There’s splashes of samples from the film <em>Carrie</em>, with elements of synth-pop and industrial rock. In the same style as <strong>Arca</strong> and the aforementioned Kim Gordon’s work with <strong>Sonic Youth</strong>, Loughie transmits abrasive and obscure noises throughout their music. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span><em>Don’t Wait Up For Me</em> features disorienting production and a creepy sample of a phone ringing. However, the samples are most prominently apparent in the masochistic <em>Bus Lines</em>. In this track, Loughie daydreams of a stranger stabbing their face in a spoken word monologue that swamps vocals in disorienting vocals.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The uneasiness of <em>MY WORLD</em> is what keeps it so fresh. Loughie has no qualms about throwing experimental spanners into the workings of their own sound, even before it is fully formed. It’s an incredibly 'grungy' project, but kept playful, thankfully, through its disco leanings. <em>Nothing To Do</em> is as starkly pop as the album goes, featuring drowned out clapping and catchy lyrics. However it's <em>Torment</em> that brings together these alien themes at their best, featuring echoing vocals and swamped with production that blends screams and shouts in a shroud of psychedelic disco. Loughie shouts <em>Torment! </em>thundering along with his brutal industrial influences, amidst fleeting synthesisers.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><em>MY WORLD </em>is a creative blend of genres that, if not for Loughie, wouldn’t have found such a delightful synergy. More so than that, <em>MY WORLD</em> is a testament to the power of allowing darker influences to creep, disturbingly, into bedroom pop. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>- Sean Tayler.</span></span></p>
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